NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Ford Escape. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle hesitated to accelerate, and the vehicle was running rough. On one occasion during the failure, the check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. Additionally, on another occasion the engine overheated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and turned off. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #3, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into cylinder #3, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 111,000.
Ford eco boost coolant intrusion super common problem ford knows about… quoted 8k for a new motor on a car that’s worth 13k. No warnings, barely and coolant leaking, just started overheating when driving one day. Only has 80,000 miles. It has been look at by a ford dealer and a family friend mechanic. It’s not good to overheat on a 4 lane highway and have to get out of the car to put coolant in it.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was off, the contact observed a swishing sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact observed an empty coolant reservoir and coolant was added to the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was then test driven but there were not visible failure was found. The contact stated that on another occasion the coolant reservoir was empty again, and coolant was added to the reservoir. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined that there was a coolant cap leak, and the coolant cap was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a leak on cylinder #2, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
The car has a non-repairable engine failure of the 2nd cylinder of the 4 cylinder engine as diagnosed by the ford dealer. The car has low miles, 49,047 and is 4 months out of its 5 year power train warranty. Contacted Ford customer care, they recommended I file a complaint with the NHTSA and offered no assistance.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while parked and attempting to start the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the contact became aware of white smoke coming from the exhaust. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion inside cylinder #4. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-2172 (Coolant In Cylinders, White Exhaust Smoke); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 49,547.
Powertrain failure for 2019 Ford Escape. Car was not accelerating correctly in main highway traffic. The car was diagnosed by Holman Ford in Sicklerville, NJ. Torque converter clutch broke down and transferred the metallic material into the transmission causing damage leading to failure. No warning signs/messages/ or symptoms. This has been confirmed to be a re-occurring issue for Ford Escape owners.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the spark plugs needed to be replaced and a tune up was necessary to fix the vehicle. The parts were replaced; however, four days later the check engine warning light was illuminated again. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer where it was diagnosed a second time and the contact was made aware of coolant intrusion into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 81,372.
Engine light came on but did not stay on. Vehicle ran rough on and off. Took to dealer and am told coolant is leaking into the cylinders and a new engine is needed. Opened a case with Ford and they won't cover it in full. Car has 54,000 miles on it and we have had it 6 years and 3 months (purchased new).
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine. The mechanic related the failure to an unknown recall and referred the contact to the dealer for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the related recall. The dealer informed the contact that upon test-driving the vehicle, there was smoke coming out from an undisclosed location. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently started reversing. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the vehicle jerked, and white smoke was coming from the exhaust. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with spark plug failure. The contact was informed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact's husband inspected the vehicle and determined that the coolant level was low, and the coolant reservoir was refilled. The contact stated that the coolant reservoir needed to be refilled constantly; however, there were no visible coolant leaks. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact was also referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,500.
I have a cracked engine block, causing coolant to leak into cylinder. This is an extremely common problem with Ford Escapes in this range of years. Ford refuses to do anything about this, and we as consumers are extremely unhappy. We are requesting that Ford provide a fix for this.
We were told that there was a recall on the coolant system and contacted the Ford Dealership and was told that the recall had expired back in 2022. I purchased the vehicle in 2023. A week ago the engine light came on and we took the vehicle to Auto Zone for a code check and was told that the coolant system was faulty. We had the vehicle towed to the Ford Dealership in Crestview Fl and they have told us that the motor is blown due to a issue with the coolant system.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, and the dealer replaced the transmission and the turbo; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to Advance Auto, where it was diagnosed with camshaft failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
My truck burst into flames in the middle of the night while we were sleeping. Started under the hood. We have cameras and luckily it woke me up bc it almost caught my house on fire.
The transmission is damaged beyond repair at 90 thousand miles. This vehicle is always serviced at Ford truck city in Buda Texas. We are very very disappointed with the quality and service from FORD. This vehicle is at the same dealership been serviced in Buda Texas at the cost of $ $8,400 dollars. We have no choice but to get a loan to paid for. I am helping my granddaughter paid for, si she can go to college and work. This is very very difficult for us. HELP !!
Transmission has been replaced 4 times
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed due to coolant intrusion. The engine was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.
Coolant leakage into cylinders and a broken timing belt upon attempting to start and drive the vehicle 10 feet, resulting in the entire engine being considered broken, needing replacement.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH with cruise control activated, the engine started to overheat. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with head gasket failure. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the head gasket had failed, causing the engine to fail. The dealer determined that the short block needed to be replaced with an improved part. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided due to the mileage. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
Cracked Flex plate/flywheel repaired under warranty less than two years ago. Flex plate/flywheel again loose and/or cracked requiring hours of labor to replace and out of pocket expenses.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost automotive power and almost shut off. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact stated that later while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant inside the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 107,000.
Was driving car is 2019 and has 84802 miles and no issues and all of a sudden power train issue came on and car would barely drive. The dealer was rude and zero help and so was ford number. There are 96 complaints of the same thing that should fall under the campaign 22v413000. I had on my ford app that I was part of the csp but the dealer said I was not and would do nothing for me and now look I have the exact issue and now no one wants to take care of it and it is not a cheap repair. FORD should have to refund me this money ASAP!!!! Or do something because how do I know I won’t have more issues after I get this fixed. I bought this car brand new and also took it to dealer to get all oil changes and etc to make sure things were handled and they were not. Will not ever go back to that dealer. And not sure I will ever buy a ford again because of how I have been treated so far.
2.0 liter engine misfires cyl 1 &3 coolant loss. Ford tsb 22-2229 States engine needs to be replaced for $10000. 66,000 miles and 6 years. engine number [XXX] [XXX]. Ford says if engine was made 37 days later it would not be defective. ( known defective engine put in my car which I purchased new.) [XXX] original owner INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
*Error "High Engine Temperature Stop Safely" Known issue - available for inspection *Engine may blow up *not yet *not yet *Yes - see above
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, causing the engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 114,000.
I brought my car into Ford while under warranty because I was having problems. It was told to me that I needed an engine so ford didn’t contact my warranty company & decided to pay out of there pocket for a short block. The new engine & short block was supposedly put in. Months later I experienced the same problem & brought it back to Ford. Ford told me they don’t have to fix it being that my extended warranty doesn’t cover it.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 15 MPH through a yellow light on an off-ramp, another vehicle crossed the intersection at high speeds and crashed into the entire front of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact however the other vehicle’s air bags did deploy. It was mentioned that the contact's husband was exempt from wearing a seat belt. The contact’s husband was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he was treated for pain in his neck, his head impact, and back as well as soreness throughout his entire body. The contact's daughter was taken to the hospital by a fellow motorist since her service dog was not permitted on the ambulance and was treated for bruising to her right arm and hip. The other driver suffered no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance; they referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
so its the worst case, there is coolant in multiple cylinders that is why that plug is seized. that coolant leaking in there causes corrosion and essentially welds that plug in place. so i need an engine.
During the month of January my vehicle started to overheat. I pulled over immediately and opened the hood. The coolant was bubbling over and I let it cool down. Once it cooled down I checked the level and noticed it was low. Which was weird since there had not been a leak. I filled it up and went on my way to work. I had my mechanic look at it and there was coolant in the engine. He stated take it to Ford ASAP. Which I did. I had it towed to the ford dealer and was told they would assess it and give me quote for repairs. After a week they cam back with it needs a new engine and the quoted repair was $7800. This car has 80K on it and was purchased from a ford dealer with 33K and was serviced regularly. Zero reason to need an engine unless it was a manufacturing defect. I start to look into recalls and low and behold there is a recall for the same issue from 2017-2019 of April. My car was produced in June I believe. I call Ford Motors and start a claim. After 30 days we finally come to an agreement. I pay $3200.00 and they pay the balance which was helpful considering I was still making payments. Finally get my car back the end of April.
Coolant is leaking into engine, engine is needing a complete replacement
rough run condition when cold. coolant reservoir almost empty. Block test failed for hydrocarbons in the cooling system indicating a failed cylinder head to block gasket ror cracked head.P0302 misfire for cylinder 2 Issues have been addressed in Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 happened about a week ago in Jan 2025 then the check engine light came on within the week. vehicle odometer is at 82700
Ford 2.0L Turbo Ecoboost engine coolant infusion issue. The problem is a known issue (TSB 22-2229 for 2.0L). Vehicle is now at the dealership where is was diagnosed after taking in the vehicle for a Check Engine light.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound. The contact stated that the failure had increased significantly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone, where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #2. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine was making an abnormally loud knocking sound due to coolant intrusion into the engine. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a fee would be charged for diagnostic testing. The dealer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
My 2019 Ford Escape Eco Boost Titanium vehicle is currently loosing antifreeze at an alarming rate. I had the error codes read and I have four. The first, P0303, states cylinder #3 is misfiring. The second, P0141, says the heater in 02 sensor is taking too long to warm up. The third, P0016, states the camshaft position A correlates to bank 1 and finally, P04DB, says the crankcase ventilation system in the vehicle is disconnected. From what I have read online the system that is failing is that there is an engine coolant leak. I am fine providing the car for inspection upon request. The safety of myself and my family is at risk because should I not keep the coolant filled and full Ford states that the vehicle engine may overheat, catch fire, damage the pistons, and possible misfires while driving. I reported the issue to Ford via their social media link X (twitter) on March 16, 2025 but I will also be calling the Ford contact phone number tomorrow, March 17. I hope to have the vehicle or component inspected by the manufacturer soon but based on the complaints online I am one of many having this failure on my vehicle. My engine warning light came on about 2 months ago but when I had it read for error codes at that time it only stated the code, P0141, the heater in 02 sensor is taking too long to warm up. At that time I called Ford service to see how I could get it repaired and was told that even though I had previously had the error codes read they would start by charging me $250 to read the error codes.
My car will not drive. Power train light came on out of no where o was less than a mile from home and car keep going from 40 rpm to 5 rpm and would move hardly at all and then speed up. Car makes noise after turn it off like the csp. I have been told the CSP is not valid for me and this is going to be a very expensive repair up to $15,000. Can not believe Ford is not being held accountable for this
I haven't had an issue YET but my mother has the same exact vehicle and Ford's well known issue with the coolant leaking and destroying the engine has happened to her. She is now out $8500 for an issue that they KNOW about and should be recalling and fixing. I am submitting a complaint because I am sure I am next.
Dashboard message "power steering assist failure - service required" appeared when vehicle was started. It worked fine the day before. We drove it to a local car repair place which advised they did not know what caused the problem and recommended we take it to Ford dealer. We drove it about 30 miles to the Ford dealer, with difficulty since there was no power steering. The dealer says it needs new steering gear (rack and pinion). The cost is about $3000.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from being stopped at a stop sign, the engine revved; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the repair was not covered under recall or warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 107,972.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken a dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into cylinder #2, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (GTDI Engine – Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The failure mileage was 124,000.
The contact's daughter owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption, the engine was overheating, and misfiring while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into cylinder #4. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine started overheating with the high engine temperature warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and added coolant to the coolant reservoir and waited for the engine to cool down. The vehicle was restarted, and the contact inspected the vehicle and became aware that the coolant reservoir level was low and added coolant. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the same diagnostic result was provided to the contact. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
The 2019 Ford Escape (purchased new in December 2018) was taken to the Nick Mayer Ford (Mayfield Heights, Ohio where it was purchased) service department in August/September 2024 for a computer diagnostic analysis for a previous warranty recall/repair problems regarding short block replacement for coolant intrusion that was not performed/corrected several years prior in 2021 when only the turbocharger was replaced. The problem was excessive smoke being emitted at engine start back in 2021 when the only turbocharger was replaced and the problem reappeared in August 2024. Nick Mayer Ford had the vehicle for two weeks in August/September 2024 and provided neither a computer diagnostic analysis report nor repair of the previous recall/repair issues (2021) including no explanation/resolution of the problem. Currently, due to the previous undiagnosed/unresolved problems, the engine failed at 70,000 miles in December 2024 and the long engine block has to be replaced. The engine warning lamp was on at the time of engine failure. We are still paying on a car loan for the vehicle. References: 1. Ford Help Desk Assistance Claim Case# [XXX] on 12/5/2024 filed with Tanya E. for short block replacement for coolant intrusion. 2. Ohio Attorney General Matter Number [XXX] on 12/6/2024 filed with Ross. 3. Ohio Attorney General Consumer Complaint# [XXX] filed online on 1/3/2025.
The coolent leaks into the engine causing engine failure. From research this is a common problem with the ecoboost turbo. Poor design, its like having a lawnmower engine and making it turbo. It needs to be recalled. I can provide estimates from Temecula Ford Dealership.
I have a 2019 Ford escape. I’ve replaced the lightbulbs on both sides several times. The housing has burned out several times not just the bulbs. Twice they have burned out at the same time. The 2019 and the 2017 have the same light fixtures. The 2017 headlights were recalled. I contend that my car should be covered under the recall. I’ve called two local Ford dealers both are familiar with my problem and have told me there’s recall “yet”.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power, with the message “Engine Overheating” displayed on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a cracked engine block that caused coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 84,758.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle intermittently shuddered and stalled, and the vehicle failed to return to normal operation. The contact waited several minutes for the vehicle to return to normal operation. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Vehicle is my wife’s car. Vehicle lost acceleration during rapid acceleration attempts (freeway on-ramps, etc.). Threw engine light with P0087 code (Low fuel rail pressure). Brought to local dealer to diagnose and was told the diverter valve failed, which caused the water pump to leak and then caused transmission to overheat. The total quote for repairs was over $8,900. None of this made sense. Did a static pressure test for over 45 minutes on coolant system and never lost pressure. That told me the water pump wasn’t leaking. Decided to replace high pressure fuel pump and upon replacing found that the spring on the pump had wore down and punched a hole in the tappet that goes to the camshaft. Replaced high pressure pump, tappet, and fuel manifold from the pump. Pump ($245), fuel manifold ($20), tappet ($10). When purchasing the tappet from the local ford dealer parts store, the employee stated that “they have people come in all the time for these tappets”. After replacing the components, the car runs fine with no issues. I returned to dealer with components and they failed to acknowledge the mid diagnoses of the vehicle and asked that I bring it back in to verify the problem was fixed before refunding the diagnostic fee ($195). Initially I agreed, but after careful consideration I decided not to due to concerns from the initial diagnoses. See attached pictures. Pictures are of new components and old components.
Took my 2019 escape in for regular maintenance of changing spark plugs and transmission fluid change. My vehicle was running just fine no issues when I brought it in. They did the service and only after a test drive did it start to misfire. Long story short the mechanic found it was issue with a faulty cracked piston in the cylinder which caused antifreeze to leak into the cylinder. The only repair for this is a new engine! I regularly serviced my vehicle several times a year at ford and never once received any sort of recall alerts in the mail, email or ford app nor did any the of ford service technicians mentioned anything during service appointments. Excuse my wording If I didn’t use the correct terms but this is literally the same issue the f150’s are having so I am curious to why mine has not been recalled yet? I have a 5 year old suv that now needs a new engine and ford knows about the fault and they best replace my engine for free this is shady ford. I’m single mom of 3 kids I can’t afford to replace an engine?! That’s why I bought the 2019 escape brand new to avoid stuff like this happening on a older vehicle but now here I am with a vehicle that is un drivable after 5 years!! Please add this model to your recall ford don’t be so greedy it’s your mistake you pay for it!
I purchased my 2019 ford escape 1.5 ecoboost almost 3 years ago and now without any common symptoms I have a manufacture fault caused coolant leak into my engine. To keep my vehicle in a safe driving condition I would need a new $10K engine replacement. Ford negligently did not recall the part that caused the issue.